Tag Archives: Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is a kind of sleep disorder. Of the three types of sleep apnea, obstructive, which triggers the air passage to partially or totally collapse, is the most typical, influencing over 18 million Americans.

Repercussions of sleep apnea can be life threatening, including high blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Varying from lifestyle changes to surgical treatment, sleep apnea solutions also have a range of results. Simple changes such as making use of a humidifier throughout sleep, clearing the nasal passages of a blockage before going to sleep, and preventing sleeping on the back can ease sleep apnea.

Hypnosis, natural herbs, acupuncture have also been suggested as possible sleep apnea options. Breaking bad practices, such as overeating, consuming too much alcohol and smoking can have an impact, too.

Sometimes, the easy sleep apnea solutions do not entirely alleviate the problem. Oral devices, like mouth guards used in sports, keep the air passage open. A mandibular advancement device (MAD) pushes the lower jaw forward. A tongue-retaining gadget stops the tongue from falling back over the air passage. The MAD is typically adjustable so that the dental practitioner can change the jaw as required.

Pressurized air is another of the sleep apnea solutions. Via, a medical pump through a versatile tube connected to a mask, a stream of forced air, is pumped into the subject’s mouth, keeping the airway open. CPAP, continuous positive air pressure, is most commonly used and has a variety of accessories, consisting of humidifier, variable inhalation and exhalation air pressures, and an air heating unit.

The things of treating obstructive sleep apnea are to relieve/remove the cause of the blockage, so numerous sleep apnea solutions consist of procedures to expand the airway. One such solution is tissue decrease. With the use of a needle connected to a radio frequency generator, RFTR (Radiofrequency Tissue Reduction) can lower the inner density of tissue on the tongue, on the soft taste buds and the throat. Lowering the tongue size aids in two ways: more space in the airway, and less tissue capable of producing a clog.

Surgical procedures as sleep apnea solutions are usually reserved as a last hope. A lot of the procedures are designed to help open/widen the air passage. Uvulopalatoplasty, shrinking or removing the uvula (that little tissue that dangles from the roof of your mouth), is an example. For sleep apnea complicated by a nasal blockage, surgical treatment to straighten the septum (the partition between the nostrils) might be an alternative. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy can also work.

Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder and may require a lifetime of treatment.